Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it’s Our Top Ten Favourite Books of 2017

Paein

by George R.R. Martin

Read: November 2017

I listened to this book and it was fantastic. All of the greatest bits happened! Well, no. That’s an exaggeration, but some pretty great bits happened in this book. Considering how long it is though, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’m really getting into the listening to of these books. The bad language does concern me when I’m sat in traffic though to be honest.
Really, if you find the idea of reading the Song of Ice and Fire series daunting, or you struggled to get into the books I do whole heartedly recommend the audio books.

by Francesca Zappia

Read: September 2017

This reminded me some of FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell which only just didn’t make it to the list because this one was on here. I liked both books, but I think I liked Eliza more. Her siblings were better but her guy was just as much of a jerk – if not worse. I just connected to this one far more, from a creative point of view.
I only picked it up because more than one of the booktubers I sometimes watch recommended it and I’m so happy I did!

by Jay Kristoff

Read: August 2017

There was so much to love in this book, but there was a little something that bothered me – I couldn’t tell you what. Still, a girl off to assassin school with secret abilities she doesn’t quite understand?! Yes please! I just wish I wasn’t in a slump/hadn’t discovered a spoiler/wasn’t so disappointed at the sequel box while I was trying to read book 2. I’ll try again when book 3 is out I think. Do a whole re-read and get the momentum of book one to carry me through book 2. It’s dark, it’s funny and it’s kick-arse.

by Alwyn Hamilton

Read: June 2017

Ahhh, I love this series. Book two isn’t really as good as book one – though both have big reveals and maybe I’m bias because I’ve read book 1 twice? But anyway, I am waiting not so patiently for book 3. Where is this story going?!

by Alison Goodman

Read: February 2017

I’m really enjoying this series and I’m desperate for the next book. There’s a person I can’t stand in this book and I so badly want him to get what’s coming to him, it’s a little scary, I also want a HEA for Lady Helen, but I’m thinking this is not stopping at a trilogy? Please let me know!

…

Ms4Tune

Oow who would have thought that my top 5 books this year would all have blue covers!

by Sarah Tolcser

Read : July 2017

This was the first book I read after having my little Cas. I needed something that was fun, interesting but also easy to dip in and out off as I wasn’t sure how often I would be able to sit down and read. Songs of the Current was perfect for this. The story had a familiarity about it that made it easy to follow but it had great characters and an interesting setting that stopped it from being predictable and boring. A great start to a new series.

by Ruta Sepetys

Read: January 2017

It’s been a while since I read a historical fiction so I was a little apprehensive. I shouldn’t have been though as this was perfect. It had heartwarming moments as well as heartbreaking ones and I couldn’t put it down till I knew what had happened to all of the characters.

by Melinda Salisbury

Read: January 2017

This was a series I started a while ago but had always meant to come back to. Gosh was I happy I did. Book 2 was so good I had to pick up Book 3 immediately afterwards. In my opinion a great fantasy series and I can’t wait to see what Melinda comes up with next!

by Leigh Bardugo

Read: October 2017

I really loved this set of short stories. They read like classic fairytales but all of them had a twist that made them modern and fresh. I still need to read the Grisha books but my appetite has definitely been wetted.

River Song knows the situation.
This is an UN-BOXING post.

We like stuff.
We LOVE book stuff like BOOK BOXES!
Join us on Sundays where we’re just bursting with excitement as we show off our new book stuff!
Please link back to our blog if you too are a lover of showing off stuff on Sundays.
Thank you!

NERDYPOST BOX is a monthly US based fandom subscription box. Each box contains a 8.5″ x 11″ High Quality Print, Auto Grade Sticker, Double Sided Velvet Bookmark and a Colour in Postcard along with a few of the following: buttons, mini prints, notebooks, sticky notes, temporary tattoos, koozies, coasters, magnets, lapel pins, and more! Each box costs roughly £10 ($13.95) plus postage. Each month you also get the option to also receive a T-shirt matching the theme through Nerdy Tee’s or you can get both with a nerdy combo!

My thoughts:

Ah. I’m sad that the pouch is made out of this material. It’s made an item I’d have used so much into an item I really don’t like at all!

I was SO excited for this box and it didn’t really live up to the excitement and I don’t know why. I have discovered I miss the double sided prints, but the majority said no which I can understand.
I think I was just expecting more quotes from the main Party because they’re the best. Perhaps it’s because it’s so hard to capture the spirit of the show in words, because most of it is carried by the acting?

My absolute favourite item is the Hopper side of the bookmark. Season two has given me major affection for Hopper and I’m so pleased a quote from him made it into the box. The second thing would be the Friends Don’t Lie print. It’s such an important line throughout all the episodes.
I also like the Jonathan quote print.

I’m not at all bothered about the Bob print. I’m not a fan. I know a lot of people are and I know he was very important, but after he told Will….what he told him in the car… and caused all this mess I really didn’t like him.

River Song knows the situation.
This is an UN-BOXING post.

We like stuff.
We LOVE book stuff like BOOK BOXES!
Join us on Sundays where we’re just bursting with excitement as we show off our new book stuff!
Please link back to our blog if you too are a lover of showing off stuff on Sundays.
Thank you!

NERDYPOST BOX is a monthly US based fandom subscription box. Each box contains a 8.5″ x 11″ High Quality Print, Auto Grade Sticker, Double Sided Velvet Bookmark and a Colour in Postcard along with a few of the following: buttons, mini prints, notebooks, sticky notes, temporary tattoos, koozies, coasters, magnets, lapel pins, and more! Each box costs roughly £10 ($13.95) plus postage. Each month you also get the option to also receive a T-shirt matching the theme through Nerdy Tee’s or you can get both with a nerdy combo!

My thoughts:

Wait, what about the badge? I don’t know! It’s not on the info card. (Possibly Clare Temple from Daredevil/Jessica Jones/ Nick Cage/ Iron Fist/ Defenders)

Kinda disappointed that there were no Agent Carter quotes, but at the same time I didn’t think there would be. She is such a hidden gem.

I quite like the pouch even though it is quite big and I have no idea what to do with it!

I now realise how far behind I am with X-men so I need to fix that and I also need to re-watch all the Marvel films. And actually watch the yet-another-spiderman film.

Marvel has so many hilarious quotes and so many deep quotes mixed together you really have to pay attention. I’m not happy with Iron Man so I’m not bothered about his quote. But I really don’t remember the Doctor Strange quote! I will need to watch that again.

Well, that’s a puny ‘my thoughts’ apparently I need to give myself more than half an hour, sorry guys!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it’s Top Ten Bookish Settings We’d Love to Visit

Ms4Tune

6 San-Francisco – The Two Sisters Bar and Books

Who doesn’t want to go to a bar that combines cocktails and limited edition books! Am I right? Also the fact that the fog in San Francisco has it’s own name really makes me want to visit and see it for myself.

7 The Riverlands

My father-in-law has a canal boat and I quite enjoy going on holiday on it. I love the sound of the Riverlands with its little water villages and its community feel. Totally some place I wouldn’t mind ending up.

9 The Island

10 The Village/ Moor

We’re never actually told exactly where this book is set but I quite like that because you get to build up your own idea of this quiet little village rather than picturing a specific village in England. I loved the way the countryside was described in this book, so much so that it made this list!

Sum it up Sunday is a feature post we are going to trial for the closing Sundays of each month. In these posts we’ll detail various things that have excited or upset us over that month.
If you’d like to join us in our summing up, please feel free! Just please, provide a link back to our blog. Thank you.

What was your favourite book this month?

Paein:
It would have to be A Storm of Swords by George R R Martin as its the only book I’ve finished…But I did really enjoy it.

Ms4Tune:Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor
Beautifully written and although the story is slow and doesn’t really go anywhere I still found it really interesting to read.

What was your least favourite book this month?

Paein:
It might be Caraval by Stephanie Garber…Not sure if trying to read it after failing to read Night Circus was the best plan, they seem to have blended together. I’ll try it another time

Ms4Tune:Days without End by Sebastian Barry
I really tried with this one but I just didn’t connect with any of the characters.
At least I’ve finally finished it.

What do you want to read next?

Paein:
Anything! At this point reading any book will be an achievement. I’m struggling.
I’d fall back to The Coldest Girl in Coldtown but I’m kind of scared this epic slump will mess with how much I like it…

What books are you hoping to collect next month?

Paein:Sightwitch by Susan Dennard. It’s not Bloodwitch, true, but it might keep me going! Or, more likely I will ignore it till Bloodwitch is in my hands…

Ms4Tune:
I don’t actually have anything on order, just hoping someone gets me something good for Christmas

How are your challenges going?

Paein:
I need to finish one black books I started in November, a red/green book(s) and one made into a film by the end of December…Wonder if I can combine any of those…
So, doable, but with this slump? We’ll see…

Ms4Tune:
Pah I’m so far behind now I really don’t think I’m going to catch up. Never mind.
The only reason I’ve finished my Goodreads Reading Challenge is because of all the books I’ve read with Cassie. If I didn’t have them on the list I would have failed that too!

Anything you’re going to try and do more of next month?

Ms4Tune:
Enjoy Reading. I don’t seem to be reading because I enjoy it anymore. I’m reading out of some sort of feeling that I should be reading.
Perhaps someone can recommend something good that will spark my interest again.
Otherwise I will be trying very hard to get through some of my Netgalley books before the year is over.

Did you complete this month’s targets?

Paein:
Unlikely as the only book I finished was an audio book…

Ms4Tune:
Oooow I did actually manage to finish two of the library books I currently have out. Wow, quite proud of myself there.
Netgalley though… nope didn’t manage any of them. Will try again next month.

Any rants or raves?
Anything to boast about?

Paein:
I was granted The Cruel Prince by Holly Black on Netgalley and Vic James found and shared my picture of her book from some months ago on Instagram, so that’s amazing!

River Song knows the situation.
This is an UN-BOXING post.

We like stuff.
We LOVE book stuff like BOOK BOXES!
Join us on Sundays where we’re just bursting with excitement as we show off our new book stuff!
Please link back to our blog if you too are a lover of showing off stuff on Sundays.
Thank you!

FAIRYLOOT is a fantasy focused, UK based, monthly subscription box containing a recently released Young Adult book and a selection of 5-6 high quality bookish goodies and costs £26 a month + postage.

My thoughts:

Wow! TWO books that sound fantastic! I look forward to reading them! I’m in a reading slump right now ( you may have noticed) but I’m hoping to get out of it soon and get on with these fantastic books I have waiting for me.

The book sleeve seems to be awfully bulky, but apparently it has a waterproof layer on the inside to protect your book so that’s pretty handy!

The sticker quote sounds good and I hope to try reading An Ember in the Ashes again next year.

I don’t know who Blue Sargent is so perhaps I should wait and find out before I drink this tea? Or maybe even find out AS I drink this tea haha!

The patch is nice and subtle, fandom wise which I like, I’ll have to see if I can find somewhere for it to go.

And the candle, it smells amazing! Of vanilla, lily, musk, raspberry and citrus! I don’t want to burn this one either…

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that other bloggers are welcome to join in, to create Top Ten lists on varying topics. This week it’s Top Ten Books On Our Winter TBR’s.

Paein

by Sara Holland

This book makes me think of Timeless – a film I half watched for the plot and half watched to see if Justin Timberlake was any good at acting. (I loved it, so I guess the answer was yes?) I look forward to seeing how this works out in book form!
This is a Netgalley book which comes out in January. I’m going to try and get into this reviewing lark again in the next few months, I hope…

by Harry Sidebottom

Generally I don’t read books set in real dead history. Partially because I fear it’s boring, but also because you’re kind of limited to actual history – unless you create an alternate reality, but the description of this book really grabbed my attention – ‘One man. A Thousand enimies. 24 hours to stay alive…’
This is another Netgalley book and It’s out in March.

by Martin Stewart

Netgalley was selling this with the tag “if you liked Stranger Things…” Now, I’m OBSESSED with Stranger Things, and I do mean that, I’m re-watching it…again. I didn’t request it though as I was lucky enough to get a copy in one of my book boxes but that intro means I’m even more excited to read it!
This comes out in January.

by Edgar Cantero

Ms4Tune

by Libba Bray

The Diviners was a series I started in 2015. They’re pretty chunky books but they are worth it, so don’t be put off by their size! I can’t wait to return to the 1920′s and get stuck into Before the Devil Breaks You.

by Renee Ahdieh

by Jojo Moyes

I can’t bring myself to read After You yet so I thought this would be perfect filler till I can work myself up to it. I love Jojo Moyes, she’s one of my favourite authors and I can’t go a year without reading something by her.